The notion of commemoration refers to the act and the result of commemorating : celebrating an anniversary, remembering someone or something in a solemn way. The term derives from the Latin word commemoratio.
For example: “The president led the commemoration of Army Day”, “In commemoration of the bicentennial of independence, an exhibition will be inaugurated next month at the National Historical Museum”, “It is not yet known when the commemoration act will take place. ”.
According to abbreviationfinder.org, commemorations are often held to keep the memory of certain historical events alive. The death of a hero, a battle or a terrorist attack can be commemorated: it is important to bear in mind that the commemoration is not a celebration, but rather consists of commemorating what happened.
Many times the commemoration has the objective of renewing a claim for justice. When a terrorist attack is commemorated, to cite one case, the intention is that the population does not forget the victims and that those responsible for the attack are condemned. In Argentina, every July 18, an act of commemoration is held for the attack on the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), which took place in 1994.
There are commemorations that are international and that are usually linked to events recognized by the United Nations (UN). One such commemoration is International Workers’ Day, which is commemorated every May 1 in honor of a group of trade unionists who were executed in the United States for demanding improvements in labor rights.
In the field of Catholicism, it is known as a commemoration of memory that, in a liturgy, is made of a saint within the framework of a celebration that has a higher rank. The commemoration can take place through a prayer or some kind of ceremony.
Let us not forget that the concept of prayer has a particular meaning in religion, different from what it receives in grammar: it is the action by which religious people can establish communication with a saint or with God himself. The goal of prayer can be to make a request, offer your respect, or share your emotions and thoughts, as if it were a conversation with an elder who offers you shelter and support.
Before his death, some Catholics leave a written testament to his will, expressing his hope that a certain amount of mass is performed in memory, or that the commemoration in prayers.
On the other hand, while praying the breviary (a book of the religious liturgy of Catholicism that gathers together in an abbreviated form the public obligations of the clergy each day of the year), Catholicism also calls a memorial to the memory of a saint, or else to the fair by means of an antiphon (a musical form present in the traditions of Christianity), a prayer or a verse, with the possibility of including a collection and a text recited or sung after Communion.
The festival known as the Commemoration of the faithful departed, Day of the Dead or Day of the Dead, takes place on November 2 to remember the faithful who have lost their lives in the name of religion. It began to be celebrated by the Abbot of Cluny, Saint Odilon, in the 11th century.
On the other hand is the Commemoration of the martyrs, a custom that the Catholic Church has maintained since its inception to honor the lives of those who have endured persecution and violence because of their beliefs. The intention of this commemoration is that the lives of the martyrs have not been lost in vain, but that their dedication serves as an example for the rest of the faithful.